CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — During the holidays, students may experience anxiety and depression more than they would during other times of the year. That's because the American Psychological Association found data that showed being away from home, family dynamics, financial stress, and academic pressure can be some factors that intensify those feelings.
“School and college is one of those things, you’re constantly thinking 'what’s next, what’s next?' It’s almost never ending," Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC) student Tristan Resendez, said. “In the beginning for me, I think that transition to college was especially hard. From being a kid, raised by your parents, day in, day out, they do everything for you, then you're being an adult.”
Handling your mental health can also be a challenge for students who are far away from home. For those who do not have family nearby, many of them are forced to celebrate the holidays alone.
“When you're away from them, you start realizing a lot, ‘oh I’m seven hours away from home, I can’t rely on my parents anymore,' and the most contact you can have with them is FaceTime every once in a while. It’s such a big change," student Charlie Bonavia, said.
Bonavia is from Dallas-Forth Worth and said he has experienced anxiety since moving to Corpus Christi. However, he credits the support he receives to the friends he has met since moving to South Texas. He said without them, it would be hard to cope with his anxiety.
TAMUCC Counseling Professor Dr. Michelle Hollenbaugh has been assisting students at the university for over 13 years. Throughout her tenure, she said she's seen an increase in students battling anxiety and depression. However, the holidays can be a challenge for some, especially international students.
“There’s this belief that the holidays are a happy time and you should happy and everyone should be happy, but sometimes that’s just not the case for a lot of people and that can just be really tough," Hollenbaugh said.
She encourages students to find hobbies and activities that interest them, call a friend who supports them, and give themselves time to deal with the feelings they're having.
"Think about what's going to happen ahead of time. What is the situation that's going to make you feel really anxious and upset? Remember it's okay to be sad," Hollenbaugh said. "We may feel a lot of emotions at the same time and that's fine, but understand it's a process and that's all part of coping with it."
TAMUCC offers a list of resources for students seeking mental health assistance. Students can choose from individual counseling, group counseling, relaxation rooms, and outreach and prevention services. Find out more details by clicking here.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
